Purgatoire Watershed Partnership, kiosk funding discussed

Commissioner Kevin Karney explained that the question of the use of water from coal bed methane extraction operations becomes critical when we consider that the water produced in connection with the methane extraction is, essentially "fossil water." Some of it is usable and some of it is not.

Commissioner Kevin Karney explained that the question of the use of water from coal bed methane extraction operations becomes critical when we consider that the water produced in connection with the methane extraction is, essentially "fossil water" (term coined by J.R. Thompson). Some of it is usable and some of it is not. If the unusable water is pumped back into the ground, what are the chances of its being incorporated in ground water during the process?

Farmers and ranchers in the Purgatoire watershed area would like to use the water that is safe, so that is the reason for a watershed plan. Rachel Theler, watershed coordinator for the Purgatoire Watershed Partnership, explained her job as receiving information from all interested parties so that a plan might be worked out to use the available safe water. The members, so far, are from the Trinidad area, as well as the Denver members associated with the production of coal bed methane, but she is eager to include any affected parties or parties who would like to be included in the partnership.

The partnership received a Bureau of Reclamation Cooperative Watershed Management Grant in September 2012. The funding awarded has allowed them to hire a watershed coordinator, and prospectively, a watershed consultant to carry out the group’s objectives and goals. Theler is seeking to increase stakeholder involvement in the group, so that the many voices of the watershed can be heard and the watershed can benefit.

Tax abatement from conservancy easement

In other business, Otero County Assessor Ken Hood explained a tax abatement granted to Larry N. and Nancy A. McElroy in the amount of $1,300.65 for 2011 and $1,304.73. The reason for the abatement is the conservation easement which forbids the use of the land for irrigated farmland (no harvest is allowed, although grazing is permitted).

Home on the Range pass-through of funds from Colorado Department of Transportation

Otero County Commissioners agreed to act as a pass-through for the grant money from the Colorado Department of Transportation to Colorado Preservation Inc. This funding is for construction of three informational kiosks, one at County Road 806, one at Kim and one on Colorado Highway 350, in connection with the Home on the Range Project. CDOT is supplying $39,000 in grant money and Colorado Preservation Inc. is supplying the other $9,750 cash match for the total of $48,750. Otero County is contributing no money but is acting as a pass-through governmental body for the project.

Colorado Counties Inc. state meeting

Commissioners Keith Goodwin and Kevin Karney attended the annual meeting of the Colorado Counties Inc. in Keystone last week. Karney was appointed to the new 11 member committee on the allocation process (state transportation money distribution). This was not new to Karney, who has been on the subcommittee for five or six years, but with 68 new commissioners in the state, all but two of the committee are new members, and a lot of education was necessary. One educational session was called "The Answer Is in the Room," promoting conversations among new and returning commissioners.

Page 2 of 2 - Goodwin is concerned with the creation of a new dues structure reflecting the changes in population and land value among the counties. The dues are paid by the county to belong to the group, which is responsible for advancing the interests of the counties in both Denver and Washington, D.C.

Both commissioners thoroughly enjoyed the presentation of Justice Hobbs, who went through the history of Colorado water law and compacts. The question of prior water rights is being brought up again in the next election in an effort to circumvent the system by which agriculture has been able to retain its rights to water in Colorado.